‘Vishwaroopam’: Censor Board chief lashes out at TN government

New Delhi: Censor Board chief Leela Samson has lashed out against the government seeking to ban Kamal Haasan’s ‘Vishwaroopam’ in spite of the Madras High Court’s decision to let the film screened.

“Once we have certified the film, there is no reason to doubt the decision,” said a visibly unhappy Leela Samson to a leading news channel and added, “This is a case of hounding an artist; that too an icon of Tamil Nadu.”

Confirming that the Censor Board will take up the matter, Samson said the government’s accusation “wasn’t short of abuse” towards the Board that had certified the film: “When you call us incompetent, suggest bribery – it is inexcusable.”

“The kind of language used against us in court is not done; it’s illegal!” she said.

She said that the Board had a very good system in place with a committee of people who know how to do their job and if they’d passed it, it was after taking all things in consideration, including the racial angles and whatnot. She believes questioning that and the ban sought on the movie will hurt the film industry on the whole.

“This will be detrimental to all future films,” she concluded, “And it’s also detrimental to secularism.”